This past year has been very hectic with Covid-19, BLM Protests, new government representatives, and political outcry that left our country at its knees.
This summer, it is time to unwind and forget about what is going on around you. It is time to focus on yourself and have fun. For most students, school ends at the end of May or in early June, but summer officially starts on June 20th. For girls who want to rock their swimsuit with style or boys who want to have a good time at the beach, exercise and healthy eating can help you be stress-free this summer.
What is Keto?
Keto is short for Ketogenic. The diet is mainly high-fat, low-carb foods that you eat if you need to reduce weight and at the same time improve your health. According to Ketogenic Diet 101 from Healthline, the diet replaces high-carb foods with low-carb foods. You need carbs to give you energy or “fuel,” so they supplement the regular carbs you need with high-fat foods as your fuel. This improves your metabolism by putting your body in a form called ketosis.
Pros and Cons
Pro #1) When you diet, you have to track your calories and manage your food intake. With Keto, you avoid high-carb foods and you’re good to go. Atkins Low Carb Research Article says that you should avoid rice, corn, oats, rye, wheat, oatmeal, flour and corn tortillas, sandwich wraps, and quinoa. Now there is something called Keto Bread that stores like Publix and Walmart sell. There is also Ezekiel bread that Publix sells. These breads are low carb and have low sodium. There is also a substitute for white rice. Cauliflower rice tastes just as good, but is healthier.
Con #1) According to an article in NorthWestern Medicine, keto foods may increase the chance of getting cardio-related disease. The high-fat foods that are used to replenish the carbs in your body have a lot of saturation and fat. This is not good for your heart because there is an increase in fat in your blood.
Pro #2) As mentioned in Ketogenic Diet 101, the keto diet benefits many different health conditions. For example, in Alzheimer’s Disease ketosis may slow down it’s progression. When talking about Epilepsy, the keto diet can cause reductions in seizures for children.
Con #2) The average person needs about 24-36 grams of sugar in their body to work properly. Keto Diet avoids sugary foods as a whole. This can be a problem because sugar helps your brain do it’s responsibilities as a vital organ. As reported in an article by Crisp Regional Hospital, when not eating carbs, glucose is unable to enter your bloodstream evoking you to feel low on energy and difficulty with concentrating.
Apps To Help You
Apps can play a big role in giving you inspiration on foods to try and optional exercising that will help if you are trying to eat healthier.
- Pinterest is not a keto app per say but will give you great recipes to try with any meal. It also has a wide range of choice. For example, you can say the quantity of people, if you want breakfast, lunch, and dinner, if you are vegan or vegetarian, and, if you would like something in the oven, crockpot, or skillet.
- Keto Cycle is an “easy to use app and guides you through your personalized daily Keto meal plan the safest way possible,” according to Favorite Diet Plans. Based on your weight and food preferences, Keto Cycle makes a plan just for you to eat healthier.
- Keto Diet App is an app that also tracks your food on a daily basis and manages your calories. It gives you suggestions on foods to try and what you should eat. It also gives you recipes for when you want something sweet, but don’t want to break the diet. According to Apple Store Reviews on this particular app, many customers are happy that there is an employee on stand-by ready to chat if you are ever confused or need help with something.
Recipes To Try
In this section, I will give you two recipes and/or products each to try for breakfast, lunch, and desserts.
Breakfast:
- WonderWorks Keto Friendly Cereal is a cereal that is low-carb and not so sugary. The different flavors are peanut butter, chocolate, and cinnamon. Prices are between $7-$9 depending on stores and locations.
- Brussel Sprouts Hash is an omelet-like dish with brussel sprouts, bacon, and eggs. Recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a58136/brussels-sprouts-hash-recipe/
Lunch:
- Stuffed Avocados with Chicken Bacon Salad is a good idea for a quick lunch. All you have to have is cooked chicken breasts with your choice of seasoning. Then you make a salad with green onion, bacon, and the avocado you scrape off the avocado peel. Next, you make the dressing provided or add mayo with some seasoning of choice and stuffed the avocado peel. Recipe: https://diethood.com/stuffed-avocados-chicken-bacon-salad/
- Sausage Cauliflower Fried Rice is fried rice mixed with veggies like zucchini, celery, and bell pepper. Recipe: https://www.eatwell101.com/cauliflower-fried-rice-recipe
Deserts:
Homemade strawberry keto ice cream
Since berries are lower in carbs than most other fruits, they’re a great addition to homemade keto ice cream.
To make low carb strawberry ice cream at home, blend 2 cups (500 mL) of heavy cream with 1/4 cup (60 grams) of sour cream, 1/2 cup (100 grams) of fresh strawberries, and 1/3 cup (64 grams) of erythritol or Swerve (a low carb sweetener).
Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and freeze for 3–5 hours, until it’s hard and ready to serve. This recipe makes 4 servings.
Strawberry Cheesecake
Ever been to Sam’s Club or the Cheesecake Factory and see the strawberry cheesecake? It is their signature cheesecake and tastes so good. But there are healthy alternatives! This recipe gives you the signature cheesecake in a healthy low-carb way. Recipe: https://jenniferbanz.com/the-best-keto-cheesecake.
Important Note: Remember that everyone’s health needs are different! Talk to your parents or your doctor about your health. You may not need to lose weight, but eating healthy is always a good idea.